A property management system (PMS) is a hotel management software suite that property owners and front desk workers use to manage their business by coordinating reservations, online booking availability, payments, and reporting in one central place. The Hotel PMS streamlines operations for front office staff and guest services in a hotel business to check-in and check-out guests, see room availability, make adjustments to existing reservations, and even can have back office functionality (schedule housekeeping or maintenance ). With a central system, hoteliers can better manage and monitor the key metrics needed to run their business (e.g. average daily rate, occupancy, and RevPAR).

Property management software or hotel PMS is the backbone of hospitality industry operations; the PMS eliminates costly overbookings by managing room availability, coordinates with any connected channel managers to improve room occupancy, accepts payments, and performs key day-to-day functions such as transferring guests, updating room rates, and managing housekeeping tasks. The PMS can automate and improve a hotel’s business operations by providing competitive intelligence, automatically adjusting prices based on availability, and providing analytics and reporting functionality. The PMS enhances the guest experience by remembering customer preferences and sending pre and post-stay communications. Many PMS systems can also integrate with other technologies such as point of sale systems, payment processors, hardware manufacturers, and guest experience software.

Managing a hotel is no easy feat, but thanks to technology, hoteliers can now rely on hotel property management systems (PMS) to make daily operations more efficient and streamlined. A PMS is a software solution that offers a range of features to manage a hotel's front desk operations, room statuses, maintenance requests, and financial reports.

One of the most critical features of a hotel PMS is automation. A PMS can automate many daily operations such as check-in, check-out, and payment processing. This feature can save time and reduce errors, which can be crucial in delivering an excellent guest experience.

Integrations are another important feature of a hotel PMS. A PMS can integrate with other systems, such as channel managers, booking engines, and payment gateways. This integration can help manage distribution channels, online payments, and direct bookings, which can be crucial for maximizing revenue.

Revenue management is also a vital feature of a hotel PMS. A PMS can offer revenue management functionality to help set pricing and maximize occupancy. This feature can help hoteliers make data-driven decisions to optimize revenue, which can be crucial for improving the financial performance of a hotel.

Messaging and notifications are other important features of a hotel PMS. A PMS can offer messaging and notifications to guests and staff, which can help improve the guest experience and streamline communication. A mobile app is also a valuable feature of a hotel PMS. A mobile app can enable staff to manage daily operations from their smartphones, which can help staff work more efficiently and respond to guest needs in real-time.

Customizable templates are another key feature of a hotel PMS. A PMS can offer customizable templates for workflows, housekeeping management, work orders, and financial reports. This feature can help property owners tailor the software to their specific needs.

User-friendliness and interactivity are also important features of a hotel PMS. A PMS should have an intuitive interface and easy-to-use features that can help staff quickly learn the software and reduce the learning curve.

Real-time data is another essential feature of a hotel PMS. A PMS should provide real-time data on room statuses, occupancy, and financial metrics. This feature can help hoteliers make data-driven decisions and respond to changes in real-time.

In conclusion, a hotel property management system (PMS) is an indispensable tool for managing daily operations in the hospitality industry. A hotel PMS software solution should have key features such as automation, integrations, revenue management, messaging, mobile app, customizable templates, user-friendly interface, real-time data, maintenance upgrades, and post-stay feedback. By using a hotel PMS, hoteliers can improve the guest experience, maximize revenue, and streamline their daily operations.

1. User-friendly interface Train your staff quickly and can reduce the likelihood of errors. The best PMS solutions today are self-service and help to streamline operations by enabling hospitality businesses to check in guests faster. Many modern platforms can even be operated from a mobile device via mobile app.
2. Check-in/check-out guests and modify guest reservations - Keep track of guest profiles and move them around as needed keeps you on top of your reservations and reduces the likelihood of overbookings.
3. Central dashboard - See what is happening, what needs to be done today, and monitor your key metrics. ;View reservation management details in your PMS solution.
4. Personalized taxes, fees, and policies - Customize taxes, fees, and cancellation policies in the combination that best suits your business.
5. Government compliance- Comply with local tax reporting requirements and regulations.
6. Guest communication - Improve the guest experience with automated pre and post-stay communications.
7. Reporting suite - Generate detailed production and financial reports to improve business operations. Helps property managers understand booking channels.
8. Payment processing - Ability to take credit card payments in compliance with local and global regulatory standards.
9. Cloud-based PMS: A PMS software solution that is hosted on the cloud to enable remote access and flexibility in management.
10. Front desk and check-in: A feature that streamlines the check-in process and provides front desk staff with a user-friendly interface to manage day-to-day hotel operations.
11. Channel manager and distribution channels: A tool that integrates with multiple booking channels, such as OTAs, GDS, and the hotel website to maximize occupancy and revenue.
12. Pricing and revenue management system: A feature that automates pricing and inventory management to optimize revenue and RevPAR.
13. Guest experience and upselling: A function that enables messaging and mobile app integration to provide self-service options, upsell amenities, and personalize the guest experience.

Pricing for cloud-based PMS products are typically based on how many rooms or properties utilize that system. Many PMS products have calculators on their website that will help you better understand what to expect for pricing. Be wary that some PMS systems will charge additional fees on top of monthly fees. These additional fees can include percentage commission on direct bookings, implementation/setup fees, interface fees to connect to 3rd party systems, etc.

A budget PMS starts at around $50 per month and scales upward based on occupancy and/or number of rooms. Premium pricing for a PMS starts around $200 per month for the smallest properties and scales upward based on occupancy and/or number of rooms.

For most cloud-based systems, implementation can take one to three weeks depending on: how many reservations need to be imported and who is importing the data (some PMS will offer services to do this for you), the number of properties and rooms you have and any customizations you would like to add. 

Implementation will typically start by setting up the application - setting up rooms, room types, adding rates, and importing/adding existing and future reservations. An implementation coach or representative may work with you through the setup process, and verify your setup. Finally, you will connect your channels or channel manager to start taking reservations. Done correctly, there is no downtime between switching systems. A good PMS will also provide access to a video training library and knowledge base of its features to help new users get started.

A successful implementation requires an initial investment in time to configure your property properly - it’s an investment that has a direct impact to the efficiency of your operations later. For example, setting up your cancellations policy now will allow you to enforce that policy later.

How do I know when it’s time for my hotel to move onto a new cloud PMS?Purchasing a new PMS is an investment in time and resources; however, there is considerable opportunity cost that needs to be considered. The right PMS can improve the customer experience by reducing errors like overbookings, improve occupancy rates by connecting your available inventory to your booking engine and channel managers, and help make your more money by letting you adjust your rates quickly- across all of your channels based on market conditions. On average, our customers enjoy an average profit margin increase of 15% after only three months. This more than pays for the investment and effort involved with migrating to a new system.